Atlanta, GA – July 27, 2020 – LYRASIS was awarded $492,069 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grants for Libraries program for two projects titled Open Source Software Sustainability in Practice and Fedora Migration Paths and Tools: A Pilot Project.
The Open Source Software Sustainability in Practice project will create and pilot an adaptable set of tools for practical use in planning and managing sustainability for open source software (OSS) initiatives serving cultural and scientific heritage organizations. The tools will be designed around the 2018 “It Takes A Village Guidebook,” which was developed through an IMLS-supported national forum to define a framework for OSS sustainability. The project will strengthen the ability of libraries, archives, and museums to sustain community supported OSS programs, which are critical to managing and growing local and national digital infrastructures. For this project, IMLS awarded $242,210 for the 30-month project. Laurie Arp, Director of the DuraSpace Community Supported Programs at LYRASIS, and Megan Forbes, the Program Manager for the CollectionSpace program at LYRASIS, will serve as the project co-directors.
Also funded is the Fedora Migration Paths and Tools project which will develop, pilot, and document migration tools and paths to upgrade the repository software Fedora 3, which is widely used but no longer supported, to Fedora 6. Hundreds of U.S. libraries and archives use Fedora 3 repository software to preserve and deliver scholarly, scientific, and cultural heritage resources and services to patrons, often including unique digital content. Pilots will be conducted and documented for two repositories: Whitman College and University of Virginia. The resulting toolkit will be shared through training programs to support community adoption. IMLS awarded $249,859 for the this 18-month project. David Wilcox, the Program Leader of the Fedora program at LYRASIS, will serve as the project director.
These projects will be undertaken in the DuraSpace Community Support Programs (DCSP) Division of LYRASIS. “Open source software supports cultural and heritage organizations in mission-critical functions to manage and provide access to content, information, and services” said Laurie Arp, Director of the DCSP Division. “We are so pleased to be able to move ahead with this important work, creating the tools and resources needed to help these communities further their sustainability efforts during this critical time.”
This year IMLS received 155 applications requesting $40,299,262. Of these, they selected 38 projects to receive funding totaling $9,986,563.
About LYRASIS
LYRASIS is a technology and services membership 501(c)(3) non-profit supporting enduring access to our shared academic, scientific and cultural heritage through leadership in open technologies, content services, digital solutions and collaboration with archives, libraries, museums and knowledge communities worldwide. With 1,700+ institutions supporting LYRASIS’s 10 Community Supported Programs and another 300+ institutions that use its hosting and migration services, members enjoy the economies of scale and the shared benefit coming from the effect of networks.
About IMLS
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.